Aqua Expeditions reveal growth plan

New ships and new destinations coming

Aqua Expeditions will increase its fleet size by 150% and add new geographic locations over the next two years. The investment and growth strategy were announced from the company’s Singapore headquarters by CEO Francesco Galli Zugaro.

“I am thrilled that after a decade of changing the face of river cruising on both the Amazon and the Mekong Rivers we will extend our footprint to coastal cruising in additional soft adventure destinations,” Mr Galli Zugaro said. “It is a tribute to the confidence in our brand shown by our guests and travel agency partners that we are able to make this significant move.”

The expansion of Aqua Expeditions has been made possible by a US$28 million capital injection by Bison Capital, emphasising the private equity company’s confidence in the vision of Francesco Galli Zugaro who will remain Aqua’s majority shareholder and fully in charge of the company’s destiny and growth. The first details of new vessels and routings will be announced later this month.

Since its founding in 2008, Aqua Expeditions has earned a reputation for bringing five-star luxury to river cruising in remote areas, and the identical level of lavishness and adventure will be featured throughout the company’s expanded fleet and routings.

“We succeeded in bringing an unprecedented improvement to experiencing both the Peruvian Amazon and the Mekong by introducing intimate and luxurious boats from which travellers take safari-like excursions led by expert guides to discover jungles, wildlife and local cultures,” Galli Zugaro added. “Back on board there is not only a staff-guest ratio of 1:1, but also ground-breaking cuisine overseen by internationally renowned celebrity chefs.”

“We are equally excited about this partnership,” Bison Capital partner Doug Trussler said. “We are impressed by the brand and product Francesco has built and have a high degree of confidence in him and his team to deliver on the vision and goals of global expansion while maintaining dedication to quality and innovation.”